1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image processing method and system for image processing image data acquired by, for example, a medical imaging system.
2. Description of the Related Art
When image data relating to, for example, an image taken by a medical imaging system are stored on an optical disk or other such storage medium, they are stored together with image processing parameters indicating image processing to be effected on the image data. When the image data are reproduced by an image reproducing system, the image processing parameters are read from the storage medium together with the image data, and an image processing unit of the image reproducing system processes the image data based on the read image processing parameters. The image-processed data are then output to a monitor or printer to be represented as a visible image. The image processing includes both image enhancement processing, such as frequency processing and gradation processing, and formatting processing, such as image enlargement/reduction processing and single or double image representation processing. The image processing parameters are required when these different kinds of image processing are conducted.
Medical imaging systems are often networked so that all systems can access a single storage medium. Since the medical imaging systems of the network all record their image data on a common storage medium, every system of the network can read and reproduce both its own images and the images of the other systems.
Such a network usually includes various types (generations) of medical imaging systems, some new and some old. This may cause problems because a newer, more advanced medical imaging system ordinarily has new processing features and some or all of the image processing parameters attached to image data acquired by an older (earlier generation) medical imaging system (outmoded image data) are not usable with these new features. The newer, more advanced medical imaging system may therefore not be able to reproduce the outmoded image data. Even if it can, it will only be able to obtain an image processed based on the outmoded image processing parameters attached to the outmoded image data.
Even if a newer system and an older system conduct the same kinds of image processing, a problem arises if, as often happens, the newer system uses upgraded image processing parameters in order to improve the image processing and obtain an image more suitable for diagnostic purposes. In such a case, the newer system will only be able to process the outmoded image data based on the old image processing parameters, not withstanding that the outmoded image data are attached with image processing parameters corresponding to the types of image processing conducted by the newer system.
More advanced medical imaging systems incorporating new and improved image processing capabilities for reproducing images suitable for use in diagnosis have therefore not been able to utilize their capabilities to the full when reproducing images from outmoded image data because they either are totally incapable of reproducing images using the outmoded image data or, at any rate, cannot apply their new processing features to reproduce enhanced images suitable for use in diagnosis.
This invention was accomplished in light of the foregoing problems and has as an object to provide an image processing method and an image processing system that enable a more advanced medical imaging system to image-process outmoded image data for obtaining an image suitable for use in diagnosis even if some or all image processing parameters used by the more advanced medical imaging system are not attached to the outmoded image data.
The invention achieves this object by providing an image processing method wherein a storage medium storing image data, key information appended to the image data, and image processing parameters attached to the image data and representing image processing to be effected on the image data is accessed to read the image data and the image processing parameters and the read image data are processed based on the image processing parameters, the image processing method comprising a step of reading the key information when one or more image processing parameters attached to the image data are inappropriate for the image processing, a step of establishing, based on the read key information, new image processing parameters appropriate for the image processing, and a step of image-processing the image data based on the new-image processing parameters.
By xe2x80x9cimage processing parametersxe2x80x9d is meant parameters required when the image data are subjected to frequency processing, gradation processing and other types of image enhancement processing, enlargement/reduction processing, formatting of number of displayed images and the like.
Typical cases in which the image processing parameters are xe2x80x9cinappropriate for the image processingxe2x80x9d include:
1) The system conducting the image processing by the invention image processing method is an advanced one, the image data and attached image processing parameters stored on the storage medium were produced by an older, less advanced system, and the attached image processing parameters do not include one or more parameters needed for one or more types of image processing conducted by the more advanced system; and
2) Parameters for all types of image processing conducted by the advanced system are included but the advanced system is designed to conduct these types of image processing using improved technologies and therefore cannot utilize its full image processing capability when conducting image-processing based on the image processing parameters attached to the image data.
By xe2x80x9ckey informationxe2x80x9d is meant information that does not vary between different types of image processing to be carried out on the image data. This information includes, for example, the portion of the object that was imaged and the imaging method used at the time the image data were acquired. The image data key information is the same for all sets of image data acquired, for example, by imaging the same object portion or by using the same imaging method, irrespective of the image processing to be conducted.
The image processing method according to the invention is preferably configured so that when one or more image processing parameters attached to the image data are inappropriate for the image processing, the image processing can be switched between image processing using attached image processing parameters and image processing using new image processing parameters.
The invention further provides an image processing system comprising a storage medium storing image data, key information appended to the image data, and image processing parameters attached to the image data and representing image processing to be effected on the image data, a read unit for reading the image data and the image processing parameters from the storage medium, an image processing unit for image-processing the image data read by the read unit based on the image processing parameters, a key information read unit for reading the key information when one or more image processing parameters attached to the image data are inappropriate for the image processing to be conducted by the image processing unit, and a parameter setting unit for establishing new image processing parameters appropriate for the image processing to be conducted by the image processing unit based on the key information read by the key information read unit, the image processing unit being capable of image-processing the image data based on the new image processing parameters established by the parameter setting unit.
The image processing system according to the invention preferably further comprises a switch unit for switching the image processing conducted by the image processing unit between image processing using the attached image processing parameters and image processing using new image processing parameters when one or more image processing parameters attached to the image data are inappropriate for the image processing.
In the image processing method and system according to the invention, when one or more image processing parameters attached to image data stored on the storage medium are inappropriate for the image processing, the key information appended to the image data is read and new image processing parameters appropriate for the image processing are established. The image data are then image-processed using the newly established image processing parameters. Therefore, if it happens that 1) the system conducting the image processing by the invention image processing method and system is an advanced one, the image data and the image processing parameters stored on the storage medium were produced by a less advanced system, and the stored image processing parameters do not include one or more image processing parameters needed for the image processing conducted by the advanced system or that 2) the parameters are included but the advanced system is designed to conduct the types of image processing concerned using improved technologies and therefore cannot utilize its full image processing capability when conducting image-processing based on the image processing parameters attached to the image data, then, notwithstanding, optimum image processing of the image data can be effected by establishing new image processing parameters and using the new image processing parameters to image-process the image data.
Since the invention further enables switching between image processing using attached image processing parameters and image processing using new image processing parameters, it can also deal with the case where it is desired to conduct the image processing using only the image processing parameters attached to the image data.